I saw my sixth and final Wonderland show on assignment for Scenestr magazine last Friday evening. I feel incredibly lucky to continue to work for Scenestr and review some amazing talent and work for them.
Afterwards Karen and I did partake some more of beloved pepperoni and basil and margherita pizzas at the Brisbane Powerhouse bar. Another special year at Wonderland had come to an end. What will 2020 bring?
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Having started in 1993 they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland every month.
-Lloyd Marken
Parked at New Farm Park during twilight. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
The entrance to the Graffiti room. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
I felt very fortunate to be on assignment with Scenestr magazine for six shows at Wonderland Festival 2019. It proved a very diverse array of shows from the highly anticipated Die Hard: The Movie, The Play to the quirky and moving Awesome Ocean Party to the amazing singing of Amity Dry in Fortified to the unbridled energy and fun of Big Glittery Shitshow.
The shows I covered in my second and final week just added to the range of what I show. First up from the wonderful Amy Currie and Drew Lochrie came a scary, humorous and thought provoking Slack Mirror, a series of drama sketches that came with laughs and big ideas from two very talented thespians and comedy improvisers whose work I was familiar with in Act/React and Impromafia productions.
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Having started in 1993 they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland every month.
-Lloyd Marken
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
New artwork installations at Wonderland in 2019. I missed the red LED chair but these were cool. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
The first weekend of Wonderland Festival 2019 went off with a bang for me with Karen and I attending the Big Glittery Shitshow at the Stores Studio on Saturday night 22NOV2019.
It is not so much what happened but how it happened that matters so much with this show but it was some of the most fun I’ve had attending a show all year and I highly recommend the talents of all involved.
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Having started in 1993 they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland every month.
Following attending Awesome Ocean Party and Die Hard: The Movie, The Play Thursday the 21st of November the following evening we attended the cabaret Fortified starring Amity Dry in the Turbine Studio.
Fortified deals with divorce and Dry is to be commended for what feels like a very raw and honest show about her thoughts, feelings, and hopes for what happened and what will come of it.
I couldn’t shake the feeling though afterwards that at times my sympathies had not gone where I thought they should. That again could be something about how real and open this show was, it could also be my own interpretation of the show but it didn’t feel like it was by design or with purpose. It felt like something had been missed in the telling. A one-sided perspective it felt odd to wonder more about the others involved then come away even more deeply moved by Dry’s own tale of survival.
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Having started in 1993 they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland every month.
-Lloyd Marken
MINI Coopers outside the Powerhouse on Friday night. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Waiting outside the Turbine Studio to go into ‘Fortified’. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Long term readers will know I am a fan of theatre company Act/React and their work so it may not come as a surprise to find that I went to see their latest at Wonderland Festival 2019 – Die Hard: The Movie, The Play which followed on from seeing their other work Love/Hate Actually, Kiss of the Vampire Squid, Titanic: The Movie, The Play.
It may also come as no surprise given the strength of the talent involved and the premise of recreating Die Hard as live meta theatre that I enjoyed the show very much following on from taking in the wonderfully quirky and heartfelt Awesome Ocean Party earlier that evening.
I was delighted to review both shows for Scenestr magazine who I was on assignment with for the third time at Wonderland Festival and there were more shows to come.
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Having started in 1993 they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland every month.
How did I ever not know about Wonderland? Every year at around about this time the festival runs at the Brisbane Powerhouse with a mix of cabaret, comedians, plays and experiments.
This is my third time reviewing shows for Scenestr magazine and it remains something special that I truly look forward to. As I approached the Powerhouse for my first show I smiled at the lit up ‘W‘ sign above the main entrance. It was good to be back.
Last Thursday I arrived to see shows Awesome Ocean Party and the highly anticipated latest from Act/React’s Die Hard: The Movie, The Play.
About to enter Wonderland again. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Some new installations this year. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
With my baby. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Afterwards attending the show at the Turbine Studio, Karen and I went to the bar and had our beloved favourite Powerhouse pizzas – basil and cheese for Karen and pepperoni for me.
We then made our way to Nakatomi plaza.
To be continued…
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Having started in 1993 they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland every month.
The night of my first assignment for Scenestr magazine 21MAR207. Copyright Karen Marken.
Last Friday I reached a milestone with Scenestr magazine, I have now had 100 posts published with them online or in their printed copies on the street. This all started with a review I submitted to them of Hidden Figures that Karen had won tickets to see. The review was published 23 February, 2017.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
The first film I reviewed on assignment for Scenestr magazine. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
At New Farm for the first screening I attended where I needed to sign a review embargo agreement. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Best film of 2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Within a couple of months I realised if I wanted to make the most of my opportunities there I would have to put my hand up to do interviews. Despite having done this in the past at university I was still quite nervous when I did my first interview with the stars of Grease: The Arena Spectacular Meghan O’Shea and Drew Weston almost two years ago. Knowing it scared me made me confident it would be truly rewarding and that turned out to be true.
In 2018 there were 50 posts published online of my work, it is doubtful I will match that output moving forward, there are things I am currently pursuing away from Scenestr but I am grateful to continue my work for the biggest street press magazine in the country.
At Brunsick Heads 07OCT2017 for the Byron Bay Film Festival 2017 to see the excellent film The Go-Betweens: Right Here. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Shakespeare Double Bill at Spring Hil Reservoir. 10OCT2018 Copyright Lloyd Marken.
CHER! Copyright Lloyd Marken.
At QPAC for the Queensland Symphony Orchrestra 12MAY2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
At Chermisde for ‘Godzilla II: King of the Monsters’ 29MAY2019. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
About to see Tom Gleeson at Brisbane Comedy Festival 2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Outside Metro Arts night of seeing Lord of the Thrones in 2017.
Shakespeare Double Bill at Spring Hil Reservoir. 10OCT2018 Copyright Lloyd Marken.
New Farm Cinemas December 2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Warm-up act for Cher 2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
After Hellboy at Chermside cinemas10APR2019. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
BCF 2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Blue Room Cinebar for the first time to attend a critics’ screening of ‘The Breaker Upperers’ 03JUL2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
19AUG2017 ‘Lord of the Thrones’. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Outside Crete Street Theatre following the great Beenleigh Theatre Production of ‘Lord of the Flies’ 19JAN2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
CHER! Copyright Lloyd Marken.
BIFF 2018! Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Italian Film Festival Opening Night 2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Italian Film Festival Opening Night 2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Young Australian Filmmakers Awards 14OCT2017as part of Byron Bay Film Festival 2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Byron Bay 2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
The Purple Cinema at New Farm Cinemas the night I went to them for the first time to see Valerian 08AUG2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Brisbane Comedy Festival 2019. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Hedda by the Queensland Theatre company 15NOV2018.. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
CHER! Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Director of ‘Celeste’ Ben Hackworth talking about his film with BIFF Artistic Director Amanda Slack-Smith. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
BCF 2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
At QPAC for Circa in DEC2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
At the Queensland Maritime Museum to see Act/React’s ‘Kiss of the Vampire Squad’. This was performed on HMAS Diamantina as part of the Anywhere Theatre Festival 2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
New Farm Cinemas after seeing ‘Wonder Wheel’ 04DEC2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
‘Uncle Vanya’ 18AUG2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Shakespeare Double Bill at Spring Hil Reservoir. 10OCT2018 Copyright Lloyd Marken.
New Farm Cinemas December 2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Myer Centre Cinemas in Brisbane CBD for ‘Captain Marvel’ 05MAR2019. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
All the people coming to see Cher in 2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Pretty neat having my own Media pass at Byron Bay Film Festival 2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
The delicious menu from SABA at the Cine Latino Film Festival Opening Night 2017.
The opportunity Scenestr gives writers and how that flows onto the rest of the print industry is extraordinary. I hope to be working for them for a long time yet.
Of the 100 posts published, 10% were reviews of stand-up comedians and their shows, 29% were theatre reviews, 28% were film reviews, 32% were interviews and 1% were reviews of Cher concerts.
The first time on assignment at Brisbane Powerhouse for ‘The Soldier’s Wife’ 10JUN2017 as part of the Queensland Cabaret Festival. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
If you’re been along with me for part of the journey I hope you have enjoyed the ride, I thank you for your support and I hope to continue with you by my side. Two years ago this milestone seemed very distant if even possible and it has been one of the great joys of my life to have had this happen to me at 36 when I was feeling that life was kind of passing me by. I feel very grateful to my editors for their support and knowledge and to all our readers. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Having started in 1993 they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland every month.
-Lloyd Marken
Karen in City Hall for Tom Gleeson during the 2018 Brisbane Comedy Festival. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
About to see Bad Moms 2 in 2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
At the Spring Hill Reservoir to check out some Shakespeare in 2018. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
At BRISFEST 2018 for ‘Ode to Man’. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Karen about to see ‘What Rhymes WIth Cars and Girls’ in 2017. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Karen arriving at the 2017 Bryon Bay Film Festival. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Friday night and I saw my two final shows at Wonderland for 2018 on assignment with Scenestr, one I was eagerly anticipating Two Man Tarantino and the other Claire Healy: (Get A) Real Job interested me with its subject matter.
The week was one of those weeks that you dream about as a freelance writer, Wednesday night I was on assignment for a preview screening of a movie with one publication and then I was due to see three shows at Wonderland on Thursday and Friday night. They were good shows, all with something to offer it is true but there are criticisms I have. One thing that struck me about both shows that concluded my attendance at the festival this year was how they got better as they went along and finished strongly. I walked out of Claire Healy’s one-woman show late Friday night and felt a little bit better about the movie I’d seen Wednesday, a little bit better about the shows I’d seen at Wonderland that week and a little bit better about life in general. Not bad.
The five shows I saw at Wonderland 2017 I enjoyed more but I felt with a lot of the shows this year I was seeing artists earlier in their careers taking it to the next level, doing more with less, refining their art and figuring out what they want to achieve. I can’t wait to see what they do next.
At Wonderland 2017 I felt like seeing Nath Valvo gave me an insight into what Melbourne already knew, that here was a comedian about to go national. Love/Hate Actually in 2018 returned triumphantly to Wonderland following a tour that took in amongst other places Ipswich, the Gold Coast, Perth, Melbourne and Fiji. Michelle Zahner has taken A Modern Guide to Heroism and Sidekickery to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Who knows where we will see Claire Healy, Anisa Nandaula, Adam Koudi, Kayne Falkiner, Vashti Hughes, Matt Abell-King, Emily Kristopher, Stephen Hirst and Sam Bowden next.
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Celebrating 25 years in 2018 of publishing history they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and now Victoria! every month too.
-Lloyd Marken
Copyright Lloyd Marken
Copyright Lloyd Marken
Karen and I at the end of Adventures in Wonderland for another year. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Outside dining area where you can often catch cast and crew after a show. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
My coverage of Wonderland Festival 2018 continues with the third show I was lucky to review for Scenestr magazine this year. This was Thursday night during the second week of Wonderland and I was back in the intimate Graffiti Room. The Epicurean Shark is a one-man stand-up show from the funny Sam Bowden. The title reveals that this is an artist who is thoughtful and pondering some big ideas. I think there is room for growth but I look forward to seeing Mr Bowden develop his work and enjoyed his show.
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Celebrating 25 years in 2018 of publishing history they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and now Victoria! every month too.
-Lloyd Marken
Other shows at Wonderland. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Shaved down and nearing the end of Movember. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
More of the Powerhouse. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
My city from New Farm Park. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
I saw my second of my five shows I am scheduled to review at Wonderland Festival for Scenestr magazine on Sunday afternoon. Following on from going with friends to seeLove/Hate Actually on Saturday night I am so far having a fantastic Wonderland 2018. I also by chance ran into Vashti Hughes of Larry’s Odyssey who said they liked my review. A real joy to have had that happen.
The Grass Is Dead On The Other Side is created by and starring multiple talent threat Anisa Nandaula who amongst other things is a champion slam poet. The premise of the show is particularly strong as two siblings face isolation and displacement following a zombie apocalypse that has all the hallmarks of colonialization, corporate plundering, re-writing history, and national displacement. There is no limit to how much further this piece could be developed but with very little in means of production here and led by powerful performances the show proved moving. On our way out I ended up behind Anisa and told her “You were fantastic.” and I meant it. Definitely people to watch, you can read my review here http://scenestr.com.au/arts/the-grass-is-dead-on-the-other-side-brisbane-review-wonderland-festival-2018-20181127 There were only two shows running on Sunday for the whole festival and both reportedly sold out.
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Celebrating 25 years in 2018 of publishing history they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and now Victoria! every month too.
-Lloyd Marken
The Brisbane Powerhouse on Sunday arvo. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Atmospheric shot. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Karen in the Q Tunnel of Love.. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
An art installation. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
W projected on the walls outside for Wonderland. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Back to the Drawing Board Productions 